"Then one day he came when I was nearly ten years old, so I must have been at the farm for five years or so. He said to me, 'You're not happy here, boy, are you?* He called me boy, never Luke. He was different from everyone I had ever known. He was so important, so grand. He did not speak as we spoke. I think it was my maimer of speaking which made him act as he did. *You must be educated, boy,' he said. *You can't go through life like a farm laborer.' He was very thoughtful. He looked at me in an odd way. and I thought I had annoyed him. And then he laid his hand on my shoulder and reassured me. I was not sure what it meant, but I soon discovered. Shortly after that I was brought to the Dower House, and Roger came."
"You were happier then?" I said.
He smiled. "There was much to make me so. I was not the outsider any more. Life was very different and I began to learn something about myself. In time I discovered that Lord Rosslyn was actually my father. I learned to read and write with Roger, and it was like a new world opening for me. My father came now and then to see me. He was pleased with the change in me, I saw that, and I determined to improve myself. Oh yes, it was a change for the better, I can tell you. And when I saw Rosslyn Manor and I realized that the owner was my father, I was so proud. I loved the place. I became friendly with James Morton, the agent who looks after the estate. I was constantly trying to see him. He must have found me something of a nuisance. I used to get him to talk about the estate and all the things that had to be done. Now and then I would ride with him and I wished beyond everything that, instead of being born to my mother, I had been Lady Rosslyn's son—then that great estate would be mine. Then I thought of my mother and how dearly I loved her, and how my life was plunged into unhappiness after that time when I lost her forever. I can see her face now ... and when I compare it with that of Lady Rosslyn ..."
"You have met her, then?"
"I have seen her. She is proud and haughty and I could not imagine her loving the boy I was, and I felt disloyal and ashamed."
"It is natural, of course," I said. "But is it not an amazing thing suddenly to discover you have a sister? It is for me to find I have a brother."
"It's exciting, and I am glad you are my sister."
"And I am glad you are my brother."
"And all these years we did not know it. We could have met in the street and passed each other by."
And so we talked and in a few days it seemed as though we had always known each other. He introduced me to the countryside and used to ride out with Christobel and me, and we were almost always accompanied by Roger Camden.
Luke took us over to the Rosslyn estate. There was no rule that we were not to venture there. I supposed Lady Rosslyn would not be very pleased to see us there, but it was hardly likely that we should meet her. Nevertheless, I thought a great deal about her. She must be a very unhappy lady. It was not her fault that she had failed to provide the necessary heir; but the deficiency clearly lay with her, for here were Luke and myself to prove that her husband was quite capable of getting healthy children. How she must resent us!
I had been at the Dower House three days when my father came.
Christobel and I had been riding. We had had a very pleasant time. We had called at Featherston and had spent a merry hour with Kirkwell and the agent from Rosslyn Manor, who happened to have called.
Kirkwell told us that he had been consulting James Morton about some problems.
"He is the expert," said Kirkwell.
"More years of experience," explained James Morton modestly.
"But," added Kirkwell, "I am learning."
"And doubtless will surpass me one day."
I liked the agent. He was about twenty-eight years old, I suppose, a good ten years older than Kirkwell, but he was not in the least boastful of his superior knowledge.
"I am so glad he and Kirkwell have become such good friends," Christobel said as we rode awm-.
As soon as we arrived at the Dower House, Mistress Longton's manner told us that something had happened. She came hurrying out to tell us: "His lordship is in the sitting room. He has been waiting for ten minutes."
Christobel tried to look unconcerned, but did not manage it very well.
She said: "Well, if he had warned us that he was coming we should not have been out."
"It's Mistress Kate he'll want to see. Best get in there without delay, my dear."
He had been standing at the window, looking out, so he would have seen us arrive.
"Ah, Kate," he said. "Have you enjoyed your ride?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Come. Sit down. I would speak with you."
I sat down and he pulled up another chair so that he was close to me.
"You look well," he said. "I believe the country life suits you."
"Everyone has been very kind," I said.
"Mistress Longton assures me that you are happy here. And you are continuing with your lessons under the guidance of Mistress Christobel?"
"Oh yes, indeed."
"That is well. You will be safer here. London is not a good place to be in at the moment."
"Have you seen Maggie?"
"I have. And I assured her that you have arrived safely and will write to her and tell her what you have found here. I hope you will give a good report of us."
"Oh yes."
"And thanks to Mistress Christobel, you can write a good hand." He looked at me earnestly. "I hope that you are going to be happy here. What think you of your brother?"
"I like Luke very much."
"A good boy. Ambitious ... I like that. Perhaps it is good ... but perhaps not. That remains to be seen. I gather you are exploring the countryside?"
"Yes."
"And you have been to Featherston?"
"Yes, we have just returned from there."
"And you have been meeting Mistress Christobel's family?"
"Yes, I met her brother and her father ..."
"Ah," he said, frowning. "Her brother is an enterprising young man, making the best of a difficult job. How they have let that place go to ruin! But he's doing well. He will do it. The old man is not much use."
"You mean Sir Harold?"
"Yes, Sir Harold. If only he paid as much attention to looking after his home on earth as he does to concerning himself with his seat in Heaven, he might be able to offer his children some security. So you met him?"
"It was not for long."
"And what did he say to you?"
"He talked mostly about God."
That made him laugh. "Oh, these saints," he said. "How uncomfortable they make everyone else!"
"And Maggie is well? You said that London was not a pleasant place to be in at this time."
"You have heard of Titus Oates?"
"Yes, everyone was talking about him before I left."
"Well, it has become worse. He has produced this plot which the Catholics are said to have hatched and which is designed to bring England back to the Church of Rome after murdering all the Protestants. It is making life very uncomfortable for a number of people."
"And Maggie?"
"This would not touch Maggie. But there is something unpleasant about the whole business. That is why I said that at this time London is a place from which it is best to be away."
"So many things happen there. There was the plague and the fire."
"Before your time, my child. It is the capital city, and, as you say, such events are more likely to take place there than in small unimportant towns or villages. Well, I am glad to see you have settled in. Mistress Longton tells me you and she are good friends and that Mistress Christobel is a pleasure to have in the house. So everything seems satisfactory."